Cross rolling machine



March 2, 1954 Filed April 14, 1950 G. BREZA ET AL CROSS ROLLING MACHINE 6 sheets-sheet 1 \llhlik L/JUGHE.

mum-1| In? II V I" March 2, 1954 G. BREZA ET AL 2,670,730

CROSS ROLLING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1950 '6 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAW March 2, 1954 G. BREZA ET AL 2,670,780

CROSS ROLLING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 2, 1954 G. BREZA ET AL 2,670,780

' CROSS ROLLING MACHINE Filed Agril 14, 1950 GSheets-Sheet 4 March 1954 cs. BREZA ET AL CROSS ROLLING MACHINE e Shee'ts-Shet 5 Filed April 14, 1950 March 2, 1954 BREZA ET AL 2,670,780

CROSS ROLLING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 illllllllm Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROSS ROLLING MACHINE George Breza, Pittsburgh, and Finn B. Abramsen,

Whitehall, Pa., assignors to The Mackintosh- Hemphill Company, Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 1950, Serial No. 155,938

straighten the tube or rounds in a single pass through the rolls.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a method of imposing bending stresses on rotating tubular or round stock to exceed the elastic limit of the material to straighten the stock in all planes without lowering its collapsibility resistance.

It is a further object of the invention to provide multiple cross roll passes for subjecting tubular or round stock to rotating and axial movement in which a pair of rolls of one of the passes is subjected to oscillations at a predetermined rate and thrust.

In the cross-roll straightening of round stock preferred practice is to engage the stock between two pairs of cooperative cross rolls which define a pass-line. Whereas these rolls are contoured and some straightening eifect, particularly with respect to short bends, or kinks, is effected in each cooperative pair, the major straightening effect is performed by a deflecting roll, or pair of rolls, mounted intermediate the two cooperative pairs which define the pass line. The function of this deflecting roll, or rolls, is deflectingly to flex the stock held in the pass line and in cooperation with the pass-defining rolls to impose on it a permanent set of straightened condition. At least one of each of the two rolls of each pass-defining pair is driven positively. The single deflecting roll, or pair of defleeting rolls, can be idlers, although if desired such rolls can be driven positively. The round stock, such as a bar, tube or the like, rotates about its longitudinal axis as it progresses through the machine.

Because the working by the intermediate deflecting roll, or rolls, must be relatively severe in order to flex the stock beyond its elastic limit, the action results in a substantial work-hardem' ing of the stock. Whilethe work-harden ing is for most purposes unobjectionable, or desirable, it should be avoided in connection with stock intended for certain prospective uses. This is true in the case of tubes in use of which subjection to extreme externally applied pressure is anticipated. In such case work-hardening decreases the resistance of the tube to collapse under such external pressure.

In accordance with this invention relief substantially decreasing work-hardening during straightening is provided by rendering the in- 7 Claims. (Cl. 153-91) termediate deflecting pressure on the stock rapidly intermittent, so that the rotating stock is deflected by a rapidly repetitive series of thrusts rather than by a uniformly applied deflecting force. In the apparatus embodiment of the. invention, this is effected by relatively rapid oscillatory movement of the deflecting roll or rolls across or from the pass line.

Because work-hardening of the stock is objectionable only for certain prospective uses, it is desirable so to construct the machine that the oscillatory action on the stock can be omitted and the apparatus operated in a more usual manner for cross-roll straightening machines of the type to which it belongs.

It has been found desirable to equip cross-roll straightening machines of the general type under consideration with an unopposed deflecting roll positioned at ach end of the apparatus. The function of such rolls is to remove bends near the ends of the stock by flexing the stock against the center provided by the gripping action of the adjacent pair of pass-defining rolls. I have found it advantageous that the action of such rolls consist of a timed deflecting thrust rather than that it be exerted as a continuous flexion caused by a set deflecting position of those rolls.

It is the object of our invention to provide a method of cross-roll straightening and apparatus therefor by which I obtain the advantages indicated above together with such further advantages as are inherent in the practice of the method or the structure of the apparatus.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a cross roll straightening machine embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 an end elevational view, partially in cross section, of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 a vertical section, partially in elevation, of an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the upper and lower center cross rolls to thereby adjust the roll pass; I

Fig. 5 a cross sectional view, partially in elevation, taken along the line 5-5, Fig. 2, of the the roll oscillating mechanism and a portion of the machine canopy; I r

Fig. 6 a vertical cross sectional view, partially in elevation, of a portion of the oscillating 3 mechanism of Fig. 5, the section being taken on line VIVI of Figure 2;

Fig. 7 a cross sectional view, partially in elevation, taken along the line 1---'!, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 a cross sectional View, partially in elevation, of the roll adjusting mechanism.

With reference to the several figures of the drawings, numeral l designates a base plate of a cross roll mill having a canopy 2 and columns 3, 4, 5, 6 and 1 secured to the base and canopy by nuts 8 interacting with screw threaded ends 9 of the columns. Mounted on the base are a plurality of journal housings H3 and H forcross rolls [2 and 13, respectively. Movably mounted in the base i are roll housings I4, -;l5 and It tor supporting cross rolls l7, l8 and i9, rolls Hand is being the end rolls, sometimes referred to as gag rolls, and the center roll it being one of a pair of oscillating rolls. All of the rolls are angularly adjustable by hand wheels and a, and the and rolls ,1] and [8 are vertically adjustable by apparatus consisting of the links. 2. attached to the journal housings i4 and {B at the bottom and to cross .frames 22 at the top.

,As shown in Fig. 3, the .crossiramesare vertically slidable .on a reduced cylindrical portion 2 3 of the columns .3 and 7' and are provided with bearing bushings 24 that have slidin contact with the cylindrical portions 2.3. 'The .roll housings t4 and i6 areslidably mounted on columns 3 andv .1 by hearing bushings 25. The cross frame 22 is subjected to vertical movement .by a plurality of eccentrics 26 disposed in sliding bearing blocks 27 which are permitted to .slide horizontally in a horizontal opening in the .cross frame 22. The eccentrics 26 carry segment gears 23, Figs. 1 and 2 that are. actuated by a rack 29 connected toa suitable prime mover such asa piston rod 36 of a cylinder .3! that may be hydraulically or pneumatically operated.

When the rack 29 is actuated'through cylinder 31, the eccentrics 2.5, Fig. 3, will be turned to raise or lower the bottom rolls i] and 19 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Mounted .on columns A, ,5 and 6 are a pig.- rality of upper .roll housings .3 2, 33 and 3,4 which ar y os rolls 3.5. 3. and 1 r e t e y. which, together with the bottom rolls i2, i3 and 1 fo o 1 3 1 pass wh c m b signated y t e reference ha tor a an Q as indicated.

The o l h u ing 2. 3 6. one e t ca y adjustable on their respective columns A, 5, and 6 by mec i ow in El a .4- Eh num r d si s t ous g fo r l fiwwh h he ce e o 1 a d the odiustio mo anisin for the housings 3,2 andsois as shown Fig. 4, except there are no connecting links like thelinks 3 8 in F-ig. 4, which are employed on-the center housing only to connect :the lower roll housing l5 with an oscillating drama 3.3, as shown in Fig. 1. since there no adjustment of the lower rolls l2 and 13 of the passes A .and C, there .is no threaded sleeve on the columns 4 and 6, but the columns themselves are hreade The upper roll housings 3 2, 33. and .34 are, ad.- justable vertically by nut members 46 andii. which are grooved to receive the housings 32,

33 and 34 as shown in Fig. 4. Each of the nuts 40 and 4-] is provided with-worm teeth or threads 42 and 43 that interact with worms 44 and 45; respectively. There is a set of housing adjusting nuts like the nuts to and. on the-front and rear columns and there are two worms oneach 4 of the worm shafts 46 and 41 which terminate in gear boxes generally designated by the numeral 48, Fig. 1. The worm shafts 45 and 47 are geared together by gear wheels 45 and 5D, the gear 49 being keyed to shaft 46, as shown at 49c, and gear wheel 59 being journaled on a bushing 51, Fig. 9. A locking pin 52, mounted in a crank arm 53 that is keyed at 54 to the shaft 4i locks the gear wheel 50 with the shaft 1. and in locked position shafts 4S and s1 rotate simultaneously through the gear wheels. Shaft 46 is provided with a square end 55 by which it can be rotated by a wrench. Shafts and 41 may be simultaneously driven by motors 55 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, there being a separate motor for each set of upper roll housing adjusting nuts.

As shown in 4, a cover 5'! in the form of a tubeis secured to the nut 4| to act as a protector for the threaded portion 58 of a sleeve 59 that is keyed against rotation on the column 5. A sleeve BB is slidingly mounted on column 5 and is adjustable vertically by a ring nut 6.|. .When the end .of the sleeve 60 abuts the lower end of threaded sleeve 59 the latter ,is-displaced yertically .until it abuts the surface .62 of the canopy 2 and is held against sliding movement on columns 5 by engagement between th can.- opy and the sleeve which ,locirs the roll housing 3- h n thi justme t .is ma t ecrew nuts 63, 64, 5 and $6 on the connecting linksdil arev loo e ed. .cl s nn o n the oscillati inc an Thehousing 33 and its roll adjusting mecha: nism is oscillated by thecross .frame, 39 bymeans of aneccentric drive ,shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, .6. .7 and 8. It consists of a motor 6,! driving a shaft 68 through a speed reduction mechanism .69 that is mounted .on an extension 10 of the canopy 2. The oscillating frame 39 is adapted .for sliding movement vertically .by vertical slides. 0 ihe bearing brackets .12, Fig. .6. Shaft 53 is journaled in roller bearings 1| disposed in the beanns r c et -2 bo t to th -cano y 2 by bo ts i Fi La the s il n r me- 1 su p nded f o s a t 68 by ol bear ng i i h his disposed an eccentric sleeve .15 which, as shown in Fig. 7, is journaled on aneocentric .16 of shaft 68. There are two eccentric sleeyes 5,.0 e at each end of theshaft 68,,and they are provided wit c c ce a shown a .5a,..- .i .wh oh i ract w th c p ement y s apedi Le o h us n 1 M u dint ej ousins ii s aworm 18, the threads 19 of which :interactwith worm gear teeth .80 provided shaft .58. By turning he W rm 18. th hou ing 11. an ts inte coneoted e e 5 l be di ac d an ula ly solo-- tir t e sh tsa, s hat e ecc t ic sl eve. 15 will be angularly displaced relative to the-ecc ric o sha 5. h oh va vins he thru or magnitude of oscillations of the interconnected u pe e dl o o ntoo ol whousine .33 a d i i... res c ivelyn the iew sho n .Eis- 9; forexample, the eccentric i6 is disposed in the same d e ti a t e oo nt os o vo l' .:l l0' duoe m ximu .th i tont e o c llating, olls By t ting thoodi s ins w ms re ange o diu tmo t th ouemfi c mb medoso that wh n thoo oon fiand 5 en fopoosit lyois pos d to t e po tio shown-in F a min m m h o o th oso l atioam ohan m.i obt ined.

When it is ed t ope ate th appa atus. t uto l tin th ofl 1 and 361. a s3. the roll-carrying assembly of. the pass isdocked in--the manner described above. fPrior to. such locking, eccentric sleeves 15' are adjusted to raise the roll-carrying frame enough to place the face of roll [8 in the desired position with respect to the pass-line and shaft 68 is operated to effect that adjustment. This defines a set deflecting position of roll it. After the locking action roll l8 can act alone or roll 35 can be lowered into cooperative position by nuts 40 and 4! also to contact the stock in this deflecting region.v Adjustment of the bottom roll [8 may also be effected by adjusting the bottom nuts on links 38 to raise or lower the bottom roll housing IS.

The top and bottom cross rolls of the end passes A and C are motor driven through shafts BI, 82 and 83, 84, Fig. 2 of the drawings, the shafts 8i and 82 being connected with the drive shafts of the upper rolls 35 and 31, and shafts 83 and 84 with the bottom rolls l2 and I3, each pair of shafts 8i and 82 and 83 and B4, respectively, being operated through a gear box from a common motor, not shown, so that the rolls of the roll passes A and C are driven at equal speeds. The speeds may beadjustable to vary the effect of one or both of the driven passes on the stock, if desired, such adjusting mechanism being no part of the present invention.

Disposed in the line of travel of the tubular or round stock through the roll passes are electric eyes 85 and 86 connected to solenoid valves which control the operation of the cylinders 3 1, whereby when the end of the tube or round passing through the straightening machine reaches or intercepts the beam of the electric eye 85, the cylinder 3| will be energized to raise the roll l9, and when the rear end of the same piece of tubing or round stock reaches the electric eye 85, it will control the cylinder 3Ia to raise the roll I! for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

The above described apparatus functions briefly as follows.

The tubing to be straightened is entered in the roll pass A from which it is driven through the roll pass B, which is not a driven roll pass, and again driven when it enters the roll pass C. Since the same motor drives the bottom rolls of passes A and 0, both sets of rolls of passes A and C will be driven at the same speeds. As the tubing passes through the straightening machine, the rolls of the driving passes A and C rotate the tubing continuously while feeding it forward in the direction from A to C.

The roll passes A, B and C are previously adjusted by adjusting the angle of the rolls through the hand wheels 20 and the wheels 20a, and they are vertically adjusted to size of stock by energizing the motors 56 which adjust the upper rolls. The center roll pass B, which is the oscillating pair of rolls, is similarly adjusted to size of the tubing and the thrust or magnitude of oscillatory motion of the oscillating frame 39 is set by the adjusting worm 78, Figs. 5 and 6. The throw of the oscillator is set for different size of pipe to a degree sufficient to bend the metal to exceed the elastic limit. The oscillatory motion of these off-setting rolls reduces work hardening stresses. The thrust of the oscillating rolls is adjustable not only for the different size of the tubing, the larger the pipe or tube the less deflection necessary, but also in accordance with the physical property of the metal. By the continuous rotation of the tubing while passing through the oscillating rolls, the tube is straightened in all planes. In the center pass B, which is the pass of the oscillating rolls, the adjusting screws for the rolls operate together. Dur

ing operation the pin 52, Figs. 1 and 9, locks'the gear wheel 50 to the shaft 41. When adjustment is made of the upper roll 35, the pin 52 is removed from the gear 50 so that the lower nut 40 can be backed 01f from housing 33 by rotation of the worm 45'. Pin 52 is then looked in the opening of the gear designated by numeral 52a and both worms 44 and 45 rotate to raise or lower the housing a distance to suit the diameter of the tubing. The pin 52 is withdrawn from 52d and lower nut 4| is raised by rotation of worm 45 to clamp housing 33 against upper nut 40; The link nuts 63 to 65 are loosened when this adjustment is made.

As the front end of the tube passes from the roll pass G into the beam of the electric eye 86, the actuator 3| will cause the roll 9 to be raised to deflect the end of the tube to straighten it;- and when the rear end of the tube passes the electric eye 85, actuator am will raise the end roll ll to deflect the tail of the tube.

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that the method and apparatus for straightening tubes or rounds therein disclosed will straighten the stock at great speed and Without detrimentally work hardening the metal. Any appreciable degree of work hardening, such as results from conventional cross roll tube straightening methods, would diminish resistance to collapse from external pressures in use. The oscillatory movement of the center rolls is approximately 300 oscillations per minute, and the speed of travel of the stock through the passes is to 300 feet per minute. The thrust adjustment of the oscillating mechanism is approximately from 0" to 1" maximum by means of the relative angular positions of the eccentric sleeve 15 to the eccentric 15 of shaft 68.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of con-' struction Without departing from the principles herein set forth.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for straightening tubular or round stock comprising a plurality of cross roll passes, some of the pairs of rolls being driven to rotate and feed the stock through the passes, one pair of said cross rolls being mounted in an oscillating frame and offset from the driven rolls to impose bending stresses on the stock material beyond the elastic limit, means for actuating said frame to subject said pair of offset rolls to oscillatory movement to prevent work hardening of the stock material, bottom rolls constituting end rolls for supporting the stock before and after it enters the multiple roll passes, and means for raising said end rolls to deflect the ends of the tubular or round stock while passing through the multiple straightening rolls.

2. Apparatus for straightening tubular or round stock comprising a plurality of pairs of cross rolls constituting multiple roll passes, the end pairs of rolls of which are driven and an intermediate pair of rolls of which are idle rolls, and means for subjecting the idle rolls to oscillatory movement while the stock is passing therethrough, said means consisting of a cross frame supporting the top and bottom idle rolls and an eccentric drive for subjecting the cross frame to reciprocatorymovement in a vertical plane.

3. In a cross roll mill for rolling tubular or round stock, an upper and lower roll constituting a roll pass, means for adjusting the upper roll statically to the lower roll consisting of a plural;- ity" of supporting columns for supporting :the upper roll housingat the respective ends thereof, said columns havingpthreaded portions, threaded nuts coasting with the threads of said columns, each of said nuts having zivlorm screw threads, worm screws interacting with the :WOIllfl screw threads of said nuts, and means -ioractuating said Worm screws independentlypor simultaneously to adjust the relative-vertical position of the mai er roll housing, said nuts having body milled portions and said housin having horses interacting with the body milled portions of the nuts, said body milled portions having shoulders for engaging shoulders of the roll housing.

4. Gross roll mechanism as set forth in the next preceding claim in which. the worm screw actuating means comprises a plurality of worm shafts with their axes in parallel relation, one of said shafts having a bushing, a gearjournaled for rotation on said bushing, a crank arm keyed to the end of the shaft, a locking pin mounted on said crank arm, said gear having a recess for receiving the end of the locking pin whereby the gear is interlocked with said shaft, and the other of said shafts having a gear wheel keyed thereon, the teeth of which interact with the teeth of the first-named gear wheel.

5. in a cross roll mill for rolling tubular or round stock, .a pair of rolls constituting a roll pass, a separate housing for each of said rolls, supporting-columns for said housings, a threaded sleeve oneach of said columns splined on said columns for axial movement thereon, a threaded portion at the bottom of the columns, a ring not on said threaded portion and a sleeve slidingly mounted on the column abutting one face of the ring nut at one end and in register with the end of the threaded sleeve at its other end, a plurality of screw nuts mounted on the threaded sleeves of the-columns having their threads interacting with the threads of said sleeve, said nuts having radial flanges constituting shoulder abutments for one of the roll housings, linksconnecting the last-named roll housing with the other roll housing, and locking means for interlocking one of said roll housings with said links, said nuts haying worm gear teeth and screw worms journaled in the housing abutting the shoulders of said, nuts in threaded engagement with the worm gear teeth of said nuts, and means for Cit actuating said'ivorm gears to rotate said nuts on the threaded sleeve severally or simultaneously.

6. -In .a cross roll mill for tubular or round stock, a pair of cooperating rolls, each journaled for rotation a roll housing, supporting columns for said roll housings, an oscillating frame, links connecting said frame with said roll housings, actuating mechanism for subjecting said frame to oscillatory movement to thereby oscillate :the roll housings and their respective rolls, said mechanism consisting .of a shaftv journaled independently .of said oscillating frame having an eccentric :body portion, an eccentric sleeve mounted on the eccentric portion of the shait and 'journa-led in said oscillating frame, and means for adj-listing the relative angular position of said eccentric shaft portion and sleeve rho thereby vary the thrust of said oscillating frame.

.7. In a cross :rolsl mill for tubular or round stock having cooperating rolls constituting Inultiplerol'l passes and having gag rolls at the respective ends of said multiple roll passes, said gag rolls being mounted in roll g'ournals, a :cross frame for supporting said roll housings, links connecting said cross frames to said roll housings and means for raising said top frame, said means comprising an eccentric engaging a surface of the cross frame to raise and lower the same, and means for-actuating said eccentric comprising a gear and rack-mechanism and means for actuating said rack mechanism.

GEORGE EREZA. FINN ABRAMSEN References filter! in the ills of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,009 Wicks, Jr May .28, .1895 568,386 Van Arsd-ale Sept. 29 1896 585,720 Teetoret a1. l, July 6, 1.897

2,166,609 Putnam l--,-.-- r July 13, 1939 2,215,095 Thaden l Mar. 3, 19.42

2,319,785 Abramsen V May 25, 1M3

2,411,335 Sutton Nov. 19, 194,6

2,486,844 Hercik Nov, 1, 1 949,

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 598,757 Great Britain Feb, 25 19 i3 

